P

“P” BASE

A special mounting similar to “D” flange except with a machined fit tenon recessed instead of protruding.  Usually found on pumps.

PARALLELING

When two or more DC motors are required to operate in parallel – that is, to drive a common load while sharing the load equally among all motors – they should have speed-torque characteristics which are identical.  The greater the speed droop with load, the easier it becomes to parallel motors successfully.  It follows that series motors will operate in parallel easier than any other type.  Compound motors, which also have drooping speed characteristics (high regulation), will generally parallel without special circuits or equalization.  It may be difficult to operate shunt or stabilized-shunt motors in parallel because of their nearly constant speed characteristics.  Modifications to the motor control must sometimes be made before these motors will parallel within satisfactory limits.

PART WINDING START MOTOR

Is arranged for starting by first energizing part of the primary winding and subsequently energizing the remainder of this winding in one or more steps.  The purpose is to reduce the initial value of the starting current drawn or the starting torques developed by the motor.  A standard part winding start induction motor is arranged so that one-half of its primary winding can be energized initially and subsequently the remaining half can be energized, both halves then carry the same current.

PERMANENT MAGNET SYNCHRONOUS (PMR) (HYSTERESIS SYNCHRONOUS)

A motor with magnets embedded into the rotor assemble, which enable the rotor to align itself with the rotating magnetic field of the stator.  These motors have zero slip (constant speed with load) and provide higher torque, efficiency and draw less current than comparable reluctance synchronous motors.

PHASE

Indicates the space relationships of windings and changing values of the recurring cycles of AC voltages and currents.  Due to the positioning (or the phase relationship) of the windings, the various voltages and currents will not be similar in all aspects at any given instant.  Each winding will lead or lag another in position.  Each voltage will lead or lag another voltage in time.  Each current will lead or lag another current in time.  The most common power supplies are either single- or three-phase (with 120 electrical degrees between the tree-phases).

PLUG REVERSAL

Reconnecting a motor’s winding in reverse to apply a reverse braking torque to its normal direction of rotation while running.  Although it is an effective dynamic braking means in many application, plugging produces more heat than other methods and should be used with caution.

POLARIZATION TEST

A ration of one-minute meggar test to ten-minute meggar test.  Used to detect contaminants in winding insulation done typically on high voltage V.P.I. motors, which are tested by water immersion.

POLES

In an AC motor, refers to the number of magnetic poles in the stator winding.  The number of poles determines the motor’s speed.

In a DC motor, refers to the number of magnetic poles in the motor.  They create the magnetic field in which the armature operates (speed is not determined by the number of poles).

POLYPHASE MOTOR

Two- or Three-phase induction motors have their windings, one for each phase, evenly divided by the same number of electrical degrees.  Reversal of the two-phase motor is accomplished by reversing the current through either winding.  Reversal of a Three-phase motor is accomplished by interchanging any two of its connections to the line.  Polyphase motors are used where a polyphase (three-phase) power supply is available and is limited primarily to industrial applications.  Starting and reversing torque characteristics of polyphase motors are exceptionally good.  This is due to the fact that the different windings are identical and, unlike the capacitor motor, the currents are balanced.  They have an ideal phase relation, which results in a true rotating field over the full range of operation from locked rotor to full speed.

POWER CODE

Identifies the type of power supply providing power to a DC motor.  Frequency, voltage, and type of rectifier configuration.

POWER FACTOR

A measurement of the time phase difference between the voltage and current in an AC circuit.  It is represented by the cosine of the angle of this phase difference.  For an angle of 0 degrees, the power factor is 100% and the volt/amperes of the circuit are equal to the watts (this is the ideal and an unrealistic situation).  Power factor is the ration of Real Power-KW to total KVA or the ration of actual power (watts) to apparent power (volt amperes).

PRIMARY WINDING

The winding of a motor, transformer or other electrical device which is connected to the power source.

PROTECTIVE RELAY

The principal function of a relay is to protect service from interruption, or to prevent or limit damage to apparatus.

PULL-IN TORQUE

The maximum constant torque, which a synchronous motor will accelerate into synchronism at, rated voltage and frequency.

PULL-UP TORQUE

The minimum torque developed by an AC motor during the period of acceleration from zero to the speed at which breakdown occurs.  For motors, which do not have a definite breakdown torque, the pull-up torque is the minimum torque developed during the process of achieving rated speed.